Abram's Daughters 02 The Betrayal (15 page)

parents for the sake of Sadie's right standing in the eyes of God and the church. Perhaps, too, Jonas could befriend Sadie without having to know the details of her sins, nor her persistent rebellion. He need only know she was desperate for a change of scenery, at least for a time. Then, when Jonas returned for the harvest, he could simply accompany Sadie back home. Surely by then she'd be ready to offer her repentance. The short time away would also spare Sadie from suffering even a temporary shunning, most likely.

The biggest obstacle was dear Mamma. She would grieve Sadie's leaving, no question. On the other hand, Dat would

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1. ii-licvccl to have Leah's help for a while longer than he

I i "'I'ted, but he'd certainly want to know why Sadie must go

1

I1 <. -1 y. Therein was another knotty problem. But she knew

Y igh to trust God, and the more she thought on it, the

Bin'io she believed the idea had been planted in her heart by iIm .ilmighty One. The crooked way would be made straight, [him I i li^ rough places made plain.

! 11 n wavering in her resolve, Leah began to tear her letter

11 | onus in half, then in fourths, till she had a dozen or more I'n ' fs. They lay in the lush grass beside her, and she touched iln in gently as she wept. A second refusal from her to Jonas. Will he have an understanding heart? she wondered. Somemi ivv , . . someway, she hoped he might.

j A breeze came up and scattered the pieces out of reach |l" I. >iv she could attempt to rescue them. She felt nearly help|i .-,, watching them flutter through the trees as they came to li^hl on moss and twig, like the haphazard markings of a lost

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Bvnuind eleven-thirty in the morning, Ida's dinner of veal

H4I, linked macaroni and cheese, buttered lima beans, and

K i 1 1 ossed greens was ready to serve. She wanted Abram and

' 1 '.1 i"ls to come and sit down right away while the main

'iii.c was still nice and hot. Since Sadie was tending the

'.ul.'.idc stand and Ida hadn't seen Leah around all morning,

in- suggested Mary Ruth ring the dinner bell to alert the

I in illy.

The loud t&ong-dong brought Abram in promptly, and he lii'iulrd for the sink.

"Is Leah on her way in?" asked Ida.

"You mean she's not in the house with you?" Abram i:l,iin cd over his shoulder, rubbing soap over his big, callusedli.uuls.

"I thought she was outdoors. Have you seen her, ! liimiah?"

"She was standin' right here last I saw her," Hannah said, I Mild ing wide-eyed Lydiann, awake from a long morning nap.

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"But that was hours ago. She said she was goin' for a walk somewhere."

Mary Ruth spoke up. "She and Aunt Lizzie were out talkin' together earlier."

"Before Lizzie left for Bylers'?"

"Jah, 'bout then." Mary Ruth placed hot pads on the green-checked oilcloth. "I daresay she might've hopped in the buggy with Aunt Lizzie, come to think of it."

Ida dismissed that comment; Lizzie had better sense than to allow that. Besides, Ida didn't think Leah would be interested in a canning frolic at Gideon Peachey's grandparents' place. For that reason alone, she was sure Leah had not gone with Lizzie.

She had noticed Leah picking at her food here lately and wondered if something was troubling her. h that why Leah isn'thome for dinner? she wondered.

"Ain't like her not to tell someone," Hannah said, handing Lydiann to Mamma.

Abram added, "Oh, she'll be along soon enough, I 'spect."

But by dinner's end, Leah still had not come. "Shouldn't one of the girls go lookin' for her?" Ida suggested, beginning

to worry.

Abram pulled on his beard, squinting his eyes. "Maybe she got to talkin' to Adah over at the smithy's . . . and just stayed _ round there for lunch." j

But Ida doubted that. Leah was being real careful not to = run into Gideon Peachey too often these days. Abram's -= remark was downright silly, and he knew it. 1;

They bowed their heads for the after-mealtime prayer, but "1i Ida beseeched the Lord God heavenly Father for Leah's pro- 1

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Hi hi, especially if she'd taken herself off to the woods. -p.' n Lnew, Leah ought not to be up there alone.

< niipletely off course, Leah pursued yet another direc-

in I !us time the way was even more densely overgrown

|h heiltfp and briar, leading to an outcrop of rocks and the

den smell of animal carcass below. She shook her head,

glinted she'd gotten herself so disoriented after telling Aunt

Uzlr she felt right confident. What would Dot, say if he knew?

Ill I 'ill hadn't any idea of her dilemma or that she'd even set

p lih i Ik- woods. None of the family did.

I Win didn't I think to tell someone besides Aunt Li^ie? she

I The farther she went, the less visible the sun became, its in blocked by thick clusters of branches overhead, webbed in interlocked like an enormous barrier between heaven andIt'll.

-"-

\\y late afternoon Ida was beside herself with concern.

I mini was out running errands, and she didn't dare try to set li u iking for Leah on her own. She wouldn't consider sending I I mil father to search, not with his bad hip, nor the twins, illi Lizzie gone, the only other option was Sadie, but Ida ill i'i feel comfortable sending her eldest off to the dark woods, in 11 her rumschpringe Sadie had always been a home-body, ul Ida hoped to nurture that in her again. Besides, it

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would never do if two of their girls got themselves lost up there.

Pacing back and forth between the barnyard and the kitchen door, she spied Gid strolling through the cornfield big as you please. "Say, Gideon!" she called to him, and the smithy's son came running. When she explained Leah had been gone since morning, "didn't even come home for the noon meal," Gid's face dropped and turned nearly ashen.

The young man sprang to life. "I'll take King along for some company," Gid said, calling to the German shepherd.

Ida was ever so glad; she felt she could rely on Gid to bring their girl home safe and sound. If anyone could, he could. She hoped and prayed it would be so.

The first signs of Leah were a few snippets of creamcolored stationery, torn to shreds. Gid picked up several, noticing the words Dear Jonas in Leah's own hand. Having attended school with her through eighth grade, he could have recognized her handwriting most anywhere. Truth be known, he was more than impressed with her neat writing, not to mention everything else about her, from as early as preschool days on. But lately he'd become more cautious, guarding his heart. He wouldn't allow himself to picture the day Abram's Leah tied the knot with someone other than himself because in his opinion she was the sweetest girl in the Gobbler's Knob church district. Sometimes he thought he might explore another district just once to see what other girls were available, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it, not yet. He couldn't imagine another as pretty and sweet as Leah, nor as kind.

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H I cull's dog sniffed the ground, as if trying to pick up her Him tn the depth of the woods. The dog, though intelligent, Hi) iu t been trained for tracking. Still, Gid was mighty glad Hf King's company today.

H lit? glanced at the torn pieces of Leah's letter, feeling awkHn< I with them in his hand. Had she changed her mind about H&u'l*hln|4 important, tearing up the letter this way? Gid Halted the idea aside. After all, Leah was a girl who knew Hhtn nIh' wanted, always had. Just as he and Leah had been Hi inlly since childhood, Leah and Jonas Mast had also been Httiiiimy, though even closer, evidently, or so the grapevine Hiil H, Who was he to think otherwise? H iixeept now, with this torn letter. . . H ( 'upping his hands around his mouth, he began to call HhiIi'n name loudly. He hoped she was safe, not hurt or frightHl'il in any way. There were enough chilling tales associated Hili I his forest; it wouldn't do for a young woman to come Hllult'iing up here alone, especially at night. And, best as he Hull I estimate, dusk was less than three hours away. I le'd heard tell by his father Abram's closest friend i> 11 oinething terrible had happened to Lizzie Brenneman " night in the midst of her rumschpringe in these very vvi ii Is. As a result, Lizzie had ended up with child, or so he llmujjht the story went. Providentially, only a handful of folk jyu! been aware of the circumstances at the time, and Bishop Hun rager had promptly ordered the whole thing hushed up. H Hut now, in the midst of his own "running-around Hhis," Gid was surprised to discover more than a few young Huplc held an alarmed apprehension of the enormous, dark Hohhler's Knob forest especially the girls. It was as if Lizzie

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Brenneman's secret had slowly trickled out over the years.

Leah, however, must not have heard the warnings, though he didn't see how, being Lizzie's niece and all. How was it possible for the Ebersol girls not to be privy to at least some of the dark rumors? For Lizzie's sake, he certainly hoped Abram's daughters had been protected from the truth. It wouldn't do to harp away on a close relative's painful past, even a shameful sin though thoroughly repented of, to be

sure.

When Gid finally found Leah, he had been tramping through the wilds for a good forty minutes or longer. There she was, perched forlornly on a fallen oak tree, a mystified frown on her pretty face. "Did you hear me callin' back to you?" she asked when she saw him. "I heard you ahollerin' . . . heard King's barkin', too. Oh, I'm so glad you found me!"

He hurried to her side. "I heard you, all right. I'm glad you're safe."

"I'm just tuckered out, is all. I've been wanderin' round and round in these woods for hours, seems to me."

"Do you know what time it is?" he asked, kneeling in the leaves.

"Past dinnertime, I'm sure."

Knowing Leah as he did, he was fairly certain she was being plucky for his sake. She must have been awful concerned . . . and hungry. Then he saw tears well up in her eyes. At once gone were his former intentions, his determined stand against getting too close. Where Abram's Leah was con' cerned, his heart was still tender, though he would have liked

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[think olherwise. "I could carry you home if ... well, that

jijl you're loo wore out to walk."

ft"! >h, I think I'll manage." She looked at him and smiled,

fen I'lunccd at her stationery pad in her lap.

I mill1 family is awful worried, Leah. We daresn't delay,"

I m, I, enjoying these stolen minutes more than he cared to

i hen I got lost this morning, I realized I'd mistakenly

| -ily one person where I was goin' . . . Aunt Lizzie." She

I . I, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. "She must not

I ! a k from Grasshopper Level yet."

I i ir as I know, she wasn't." He nuzzled King, too aware of

I m'kward silence between them. To break it, he said, "Your

my here is a mighty gut companion. And even though he

li'i .1 trained hunter, he sure seemed to know where you

It

I "I Ir prob'ly followed the smell of the barn on me," she

I I his brought a peal of laughter, and his heart was singing.

|M'< I here any chance for them? Any at all?

I King went and licked Leah's face, and she put her head

U'li nnd talked to him like he was one of the family. Then

b looked up at Gid. "I'm so grateful to you," she said, still

piling. "And to your dog."

I "I le's yours, don't forget." He watched her face, the

(hine.ss in her eyes. No, he thought, groaning inwardly. I

km ih'iiy my affection for her. Soon she'll be married to another.

I l;oi now it was enough to see Leah smiling, knowing she'd

Ifu lound.

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Sadie watched as Dat, Mamma, Dawdi John, and the twins all stood out in the backyard, eyes trained in anticipation on the woods beyond the, barn. She had to wonder if such a fuss would be made over her once she turned up missing. The look of dire consternation in Dat's eyes just now was ever so telling.

"How long ago did you send Gid to search?" Dat asked Mamma, his right hand resting firmly on his lower back, as if in pain.

"More than an hour ago." Mamma shifted Lydiann in her arms.

"Why'd she have to go and get herself lost?" Sadie spoke up.

"Now, daughter. . ." Dat came walking toward her. He lowered his hat and his voice both at the same time. "You've

done things twice as dumb as this," he said so only she could hear.

His remark took the breath clean from her.

She had nothing to say in response and wished she could run fast away. But she waited till they, one by one, headed inside for some cold drinks, Dat declaring up and down for her to holler right quick if she saw Leah or Gid, either one. She stared at the back door, her bare feet planted firmly in the grass as she peered past the screened-in porch and into Mamma's big kitchen beyond.

Once she was sure they were all preoccupied with ice-cold tea and whatnot, she stole away to the outhouse. Stopping to look back from that vantage point, she checked to see if they'd even noticed she was gone, then hurried on up the mule road, fast as she could go, to the woods herself.

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Out of breath, she stopped for a moment near the old lone wall that surrounded Aunt Lizzie's vegetable and flower i',;iklens. From far in the distance she heard the music of a liiinnonica and spirited laughter, and she caught a glimpse of ( iiil and Leah, the dog on their heels. Carefree-like, they nuide their way down the long rise together.

Sadie stared at the smithy's son and her own sister with unbelieving eyes. She never would've expected to see them like this. Not with Leah planning to marry Jonas here in a lew months, if not weeks.

Yet there they were, Gid, and Leah, holding hands and laughing and talking, looking like they felt awful cozy I ogether.

She crouched behind the ivy-strewn barrier, making sure neither one could spot her.